Why do the Factory Honda riders run Showa?

Honda owns Showa, they get better parts for the factory bikes then they would KYB

NO. Honda isn't going to use KYB.



Honda has a controlling interest in Showa. So I imagine it's cheaper to go racing with a company you own. Seeing how all factory teams and most satellite teams PAY for suspension.

too make you jealous

They had to put kayaba on their stock bikes so they could sell them.

Kayaba gave Honda about $200 cheaper pricing on the manufacturing of the short fat shock canister for each shock so Honda went with them. So I was told.....

could be way off.

So they don't have to send the forks to Japan to have the clickers adjusted?

I remember reading on here somewhere also that Honda owns only a small percentage of Showa.

but once again I could be off.

Odd. What i do know is that MXA will be happy. They have been bitching about the Showa forks for ages. Midstroke harsh or something. Not saying they are wrong, just saying!

The question is very interesting. Hopefully we will hear the reason. $ is often the reason for everything.

MXA is already bitching about the new Kayaba's

I would imagine that KYB won the contract on preference of test riders. KYB retooled a shock for Honda so I doubt they with cheaper.

Honda owns something like 27% of Showa

The 08 honda's do suffer from big time midstroke harshness but it can be fixed fairly cheap.

It's funny that people seem to automatically assume Kayaba stuff is better. The Showas on my latest CR500AF are just as good as the much-ballyhoo'ed SSS Kayaba stuff on my son's YZ125 (yeah, I know, it's a difficult comparison but I stand by my statement). Either one can be very good or poor if it's not set up right.

also doesn't Suzuki run renthal bars on their stokies and Pro taper on Factory?

KYB and Showa will build whatever design that Honda gives them. KYB was able to build it all for a cheaper price.

Honda doesnt own Showa they own a percentage of it. When they run factory stuff its all with Showa because Showa is pretty much in house.

Because honda has a contract with showa for racing.

Also it doesn't matter who makes the components when you get your suspension revalved the tuner could valve a KYB fork and shock the same way he does Showa. Just like enzo revalves Showa components like their KYB settings.

Honda doesn't own Showa. They are just a share holder.

http://www.showa1.com/en/corporate/profile/pdf/SHOWA_profile_en.pdf

Imagine all the $$$ already laying around in factory showa suspension. a very wide base to start off when testing.

Per the Showa 2007 Annual Report (accessible via the showa1.com website) Honda owns 33.5% of Showa. So a meaningful, but by no means controlling interest in the company.

They run Showa cause they are sponsor by them, just maybe.

Naw thats to much reading, I just go by the Topic.

BYT, asstick, I like that one. I will have to start using it.

Factory Showa forks run at around $25,000 and are seriously different to what you get on a showroom bike.
Doesn't make them any better or any worse than KYB factory or even Ohlins. Honda factory teams run with them because they have been for over 20 years and that is a lot of research (think $)
Being a shareholder probably helps but they probably bought in because of the quality of the product.
Then again, what would I know?

flame on

I just hope they go back to Showa before I buy a new one . You can't keep fork seals in the KYB junk .

I guess as long as the 250 comes with Showa my 2010 CR500AF will have Showa.

The stock KYB seals don't last but just replace them with Factory Connection and you are good for as long as you own your bike.

I feel pretty good for buying last year my 2006 out of the box new for 4800. MB1 suspension makes her handle just fine.

Forgot to mention that the CR125 has been using the KYB for a decade. So I guess, maybe they felt the KYB was not up for the task?